I believe that any time is a great time for a smoothie, especially when you’re trying to turn it into a meal replacement smoothie. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, post workout fuel, late night munchies, etc— you name it!
Our bodies have some vicious cravings (and also need) vitamins and minerals all day long. Leafy greens and fresh fruit in a blended smoothie always makes for a great option.
I use the meal replacement smoothie recipe below to power my day with whole foods and plant protein, and now you can, too!
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Yet at certain times of day, our body needs different things to thrive. Let’s take actual meals, like breakfast, lunch and dinner. These meals are super important— and can be easily swapped for a green smoothie. You just have to know the right way to do it, which we talk about below.
Health Benefits of a Meal Replacement Smoothies
A smoothie can be a meal replacement if using the correct ingredients. I drink meal replacement smoothies for breakfast or lunch most days. Sometimes it’s because I’m in a hurry and just want to down something asap. Other times it’s because I’m trying to slim down (usually after vacation). Swapping a meal with a smoothie can benefit you in these ways:
- You’ll be more energized thanks to all the fresh, raw ingredients
- They’re super quick to make and drink
- You’re hydrating your body
- Less bloating than usual when eating a meal
- It’ll help with weight loss
How to Turn a Smoothie into a Meal
The key to replacing meals with smoothies is including healthy fats AND proteins. Healthy fats and proteins are the way to go if you want to power up with a green smoothie meal replacement. This combo will keep you feeling full and give you the energy you need to cruise right through ’til your next snack or meal. Below are our favorite options for smoothie meal replacement boosters:
Pick a Plant-Based Protein
Plant-based proteins keep your body full and give you tons of energy. They also help repair your muscles, which is perfect for that post-workout buzz. Oh, kale to the yeah!
- Hemp hearts
- Chia seeds
- Homemade protein powder
- Rolled oats
- Tofu
Pick a Healthy Fat
Healthy fats protect your heart, keep your energy levels up, boost metabolism, and lower bad cholesterol levels. So please don’t skip the fats. They’re actually really, really good for you! And the ingredients below make your green smoothies extra creamy.
- Avocado
- Coconut oil or MCT oil
- Almond butter or other homemade nut butter
- Chia seeds (yep, here they are again! These babies are loaded with healthy fats and protein, making them a great everyday booster)
Examples of Meal Replacement Add-Ins
Smoothies can be the perfect fast food by adding healthy fats and plant-based protein. Use one of these meal replacement booster combos in your next green smoothie. The boosts are measured to work with all 250+ of our smoothie recipes.
- 2 tbs chia seeds + 2oz silken tofu
- 2 tbs hemp hearts + ¼ avocado
- 2 tbs plant-based protein powder + 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1 tbs almond butter + 2 tbs rolled oats
- 2 tbs chia seeds + 1 tbs coconut oil
Meal Replacement Smoothie FAQs
Any time is the right time for a smoothie! Personally, we love drinking ours in the morning for a great start to the day. But besides drinking a smoothie as breakfast, lots of rawkstars drink their smoothie for lunch or dinner, as an afternoon snack, or as a healthy dessert.
In case you’re planning on having your smoothie in the evening–most of our smoothies provide a great energy boost similar to a cup of coffee. So if you’re looking for a pre-bedtime green smoothie recipe, we’ve got you covered: Sleep Well Smoothie.
The MOST important thing when blending any meal replacement smoothie recipe is to include healthy fats AND proteins. This combo will keep you feeling full and give you the energy you need to cruise right through ’til your next meal or snack.Â
If you swap out a meal (or two) each day with a smoothie, there’s a good chance you’ll lose weight and also have more energy. This is due to the increased nutrition and decrease in overall calories. What’s even better than a smoothie is a green smoothie. When you add in leafy greens you’re adding fiber and phytonutrients… yet very few calories. My smoothies recipes are made with nutrient dense foods that curb cravings and keep you full longer.
I have a Plant-Based Cleanse that includes two smoothies a day, plus snacks and meals to help you lose weight, yet more importantly understand how to nourish your body so the weight falls off without ever feeling hungry.
15 More Meal Replacement Smoothie Recipes
Smoothies for Breakfast
- Vegan Smoothie Bowl
- Cinnamon Date Smoothie
- Chocolate Weight Loss Smoothie
- Vanilla Protein Shake
- Creamy Banana Smoothie
Smoothies for Lunch
Smoothies for Dinner
- Berry Protein Smoothie
- Blackberry Smoothie
- PCOS Pumpkin Smoothie
- Strawberry Smoothie
- Avocado Banana Smoothie
Don’t forget to rate + review this recipe once you’ve made it. I want to know how yours turned out as well as if it filled you up!
Meal Replacement Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale or spinach
- 1 cup almond milk unsweetened
- 1 cup blueberries frozen
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp almond butter or raw almonds
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Blend kale and almond milk until smooth in a high speed blender.
- Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
Video
Notes
- Use a frozen fruit to make smoothie cold
- Swap out almond milk for any non-dairy milk you prefer
- Homemade protein powder is what I use for my meal replacement smoothies
I would love to try this but would you suggest replacing the oatmeal with? See I don’t consume any grains or sugar (only natural from the food), so not sure if I should just leave out the oats.
Also I have been enjoying the green smoothies and my 3 yr old grandson is loving them as well. So thanks for providing a healthy and complete natural drink.
Hey Mrs. E,
Feel free to leave out the oats. 🙂
Hi there,
I am just wanting to clarify in regards to the breakfast smoothies we have on the 21 day cleanse. These are used as breakfast so I am assuming they are a meal replacement, are you saying if I was to have another smoothie throughout the day as another meal replacement we should add the boosters or should we also be adding them to the breakfast smoothies from the fast that is the only thing we are having for breakfast. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks.
I was wondering that as well. I went ahead and made this smoothie this morning and I am going to easily make to my lunch smoothie without snacking. Very filling!
Hey Michelle + Heather.
We suggest that if you would like to replace a meal to consume 16oz + plant based protein for any smoothie that you make. This one is even more filling because it include rolled oats. If you would like a snack serving, consume 8oz. Does this answer your question?
I’m wondering the same thing, because I have everything at home to make this!
What are you wondering, Rosario?
Can I substitute kale with spinach? And substitute almond butter with chasew butter?
Yes & Yes, those are both great substitutions.
I just made this bc I had everything on hand. Oh my goodness, it is very, very yummy. I hope it’s filling too!
YAY! Glad you enjoyed it!
If you’re allergic to nuts how do u replace almond butter?
Shanna, you can use Sunflower seed butter or even tahini I would imagine!
Great tips, Maya!
Coconut butter is delish if you like coconuts and do not have any sensitivity to them. I have not tried sunflower seed butter but I have tried tahini and thought it was really gross. Maybe I just got a bad brand but it was the most expensive one on the shelf at whole foods:-(. Good luck
Hello, I was wondering how do you make it just for one person? It seems that I have a lot left over and my little boy is slowly getting into the smoothies I have been trying out. He’s still kind of hesitant why it’s so green…So I was wondering how do I just make it for one (myself) =) Thanks!
I simply use half the ingredient amounts when I make a single serving 🙂
You could maybe just prepare all the veggies/fruits, minus the liquids, divide it into three (?) equally sized portons and use one with a third of the liquid in the recipes, and then use the other portions later. Not sure if oats and nut butters can be frozen, maybe someone else knows. But it would work for sure with fruit/veggie smoothies. Makes your next smoothies way faster!
And i forgot to add: put the other two in the freezer….
Great tips. Tanayah, please half our recipes if you would like one 16oz serving. 🙂
Tanayah
Try putting your son’s smoothie into a colored glass with a lid and straw so that he can’t see the color.
Yes, would love the nutritional breakdown. And best mixing tool-I have broken many. Thanks
I miss out on so many great things like this due to tree nut allergies. are there any viable substitutions for the almond milk and almond butter?
Rachel,
We have nut allergies at my house. Sunbutter makes a fine substitute for any of the nut butters, and coconut milk works as well, or hemp milk. FYI, unless you have a specific coconut allergy at your house.. it is NOT considered a tree nut, despite the allergy warnings (we have major allergies at my house, so I’m not just spouting info).
Thanks, Sarah + Beth, those are great tips for Rachel. 🙂
Im not allergic to nuts, but I work at a nut-free school, so I usually make my smoothies with coconut milk and either chia seeds or a plain protein powder. Id think they would offer similar protein/healthy fat boosts. While the coconut milk adds a creamier texture, usually I just use water because I’m slightly #lazy haha
Yes, please provide nutritional information for your smoothie recipes. How much protein / fiber / fat / carbs / calories / sugar? True, we could all take the time to hunt this information down individually but it would be a great resource to provide your readers with for each recipe. Thanks for all that you do to keep us healthy – I love being a rawstar junkie!!!
Here’s the break down for the Meal on the Go Smoothie
Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 335
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13 g 20 %
Saturated Fat 1 g 5 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
Sodium 191 mg 8 %
Potassium 657 mg 19 %
Total Carbohydrate 50 g 17 %
Dietary Fiber 10 g 39 %
Sugars 22 g
Protein 10 g 19 %
Vitamin A 218 %
Vitamin C 166 %
Calcium 60 %
Iron 17 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Thanks Sunny. 🙂
Love this.. I have not been a smoothie lover till now thank you …
That’s wonderful!
Hi. I was wondering if it would be possible for you to provide nutritional information for your smoothie recipes like this one? How does it equal a meal? How much protein / fiber / fat / net carbs? This would be an awesome tool to better help align smoothies and/or ingredients with our individual dietary needs. Of course we could all take the time to hunt this information down individually but it would be a great resource to provide your readers with for each recipe or per each “boost”. Thanks for your time!
Thanks for the tip, Nicole. 🙂 We personally don’t count calories, so we don’t include them in our recipes at this time. You’ll find that when you consume more nourishing whole fruits and veggies, you will not only feel full longer, but you’ll also have lessened cravings for high-calorie, nutritionally empty foods. So in the end it balances out. But we know many people would like to have calorie info. Three great resources for tracking calories are Self Nutrition Data and the phone apps My Fitness Pal and Lose It.
I love this one which I already make but never have I added the rolled oats. Will try and share!
Cheers! Thanks for trying!
I LOVE green smoothies! I love them way more than salads, that’s for sure. I was just wondering what are your thoughts on replacing multiple meals with smoothies rather than just one meal a day? I currently do a smoothie for breakfast, but was thinking I could do a smoothie for breakfast and for lunch, to ensure I get the greens in my system without dreading it (i.e. through a salad ;)).
Hey Christie.
This is not a fast or a restrictive diet, so you can eat regular meals during this challenge. We are making healthy lifestyle changes that will last a lifetime! Our goal for you is to drink at least one 2-cup serving green smoothie a day in addition to your regular diet. If you would like, you can replace 1 or 2 meals with green smoothies. If you drink green smoothies as meal replacements, make sure to add a protein boost (plant-based protein powder, nut milk, nut butter), or snack on some nuts or a hard-boiled egg 30-60 minutes after you drink your green smoothie.
Do you use a vitamix? I would think everything could be blended all at one time using one.
Yes, Vitamix can handle it all as once. 🙂
Hi, Do we need to roast and powder the rolled oats or leave it raw
Hey Mallika. Feel free to cook the oats (then chilled) or raw. 🙂